“Congratulations Heidi.” I held out the little pig for her to take. “You’re a goddess now.”copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡddlJgAASbx

Heidi grabbed her pig in stunned silence. Part of me fluttered seeing her like this. It reminded me of how things had been in the beginning, of how young and naïve we had all been. How excited and totally unprepared for it all we had been. The good old days…copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1XXKIjZDan

“Not quite yet actually Lord Dionysus.” Themis readjusted her blindfold. “She has not been given immortality or divinity yet.”copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡk36XvJcMG9

“Immortality?”copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1UnnDEYdw9

“Well…how do we do that part?” I asked. “Do you need to weigh her again or something?”copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡLx7IhP2htc

“Don’t you remember?” Themis said to me. “The fates have to reveal which god or goddess the girl will become.”copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6z6tXJ7VWE

“Don’t we already know that?” I asked. “I mean…Hestia picked her to be, well to be Hestia. Why do the fates have a say?”copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Ibbqt1tLu

“You misunderstand the nature of the fates I feel my lord.” Themis informed me. “They do not have a ‘say’ in the way you mean. Heidi, and all of your fates are spun long before you are born. It is up to the Fates to reveal to us Heidi’s destiny. You are correct, the lady Hestia did indeed seem to have plans for this girl, but regardless of that, and ignoring the scales.” Themis let the scales fall to her side. “We must bring this girl before the Fates. That is how it is to be done.”copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqiVc2GI0d

“Right.” I nodded, I remembered the Fates now. There were three of them, and the last and only time I had seen them was the first time I had been atop Mount Olympus, when I myself had undergone Themis’ test. The Fate’s had stood before him, touched my forehead and proclaimed me Dionysus. “So Mount Olympus then?”copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡU6N0AKJIFG

“Mount…” Heidi was still looking at both Themis and I in a daze. Her little pig seemed more sure of the situation than she did.copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡmKpyWP1XjM

“Yes.” Themis nodded to me. “That is when she must be blindfolded.”copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZdJUpMB8N

“Yeah, humans can look at it right?”copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡP2TC2umMd2

“That is correct.” Themis nodded. “It is only fair.”copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡtAMS8IIaG1

I wasn’t sure how, but I decided to just let Themis leave that unexplained. I was getting a little annoyed of truth and justice. Themis might have been more infuriating to talk to than Janus…or maybe not, it was a difficult choice.copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡW80aRVAEwI

“Well, I guess we should get going.” I said. “The others will want to me you, and besides the sooner you join up and get trained up the sooner I can go after Demi.”copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡrmKlYNQlA4

Heidi was no longer talking. She merely gazed at me, clearly processing everything. I could see from her eyes it was a struggle to take it all in.copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡn3E9WMSEWy

“Hey listen.” I told her. “I know this is hard, yesterday you were just a high schooler right? And today you’re…not. It’s fine, totally normal actually to be freaked out, scared, terrified, worried, nauseous, terrified.”copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡGTHH4zCEd9

“You said that twice.” She muttered.copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡmFv71tUSPu

“Oh yeah.” I looked at Themis. “What did I leave out?”copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡWcyAmunf9k

“Yeah, but it’s nothing to worry about too much. The rest of us are new too. So we’ve all been through what you’re going through. And all of us know how you feel. What I want you to know is that just like in the myths, all us Olympians are family. Each and every one of us will be here to help you and talk you through it all. You’re family now Heidi, you’re one of us. We can help you, its what family does.”copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7KTlfrDjBA

“Technically she’s not yet.”copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVTyKky4Fq

“Themis, what happened to being just?”copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡcwexVEePra

“I am.” The blindfolded lady muttered. “You were embellishing your statement of support, it is only just to bring it back down to reality. Your overselling and my blunt honestly balance out, now things are just.”copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡSyVMUadytP

“I wasn’t overselling.” I tried to assure the newest goddess. “We really are all here for you.”copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡ94L2DwncA3

“Except Zack.” Themis interjected. “And Eric is unlikely to be helpful. Also I would be remiss to not mention Demi, she will likely despise you for replacing Hestia, but yes the others should get along with you grandly.”copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡCNzRkuvzjW

“Heidi, stay away from Themis once we reach Mount Olympus…balance out her annoying us with a few centuries of avoiding her.”copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡKcvFYqQcYj

“I can tell your intending meaning Lord Dionysus, but the barb loses its edge in it’s truthfulness. That would indeed be balanced and just.”copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡ27oNa1jxdT

“Come on.” I grabbed a hold of Themis’ hand and offered my other to Heidi. “Heidi are you coming?”copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQGbH1FdBZ

She looked terrified, completely shaken and unwilling or unable to snap out it. I wondered if that’s how I had looked to Hestia.copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡalcG1b6Rn4

Themis spoke softly. “She committed, before the judging she committed. It would not be just for her to break such a commitment.”copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡqwF7Hn9nAK

I ignored the blindfolded one. I thought about Heidi’s question. Did I? Did I ever regret becoming a god and living this life? Did I regret all the trouble and danger being a god had put me through? Did I regret the responsibility and power? Did I regret meeting Adele? “Heidi, every person has goods days and bad days. That’s true for the poorest mortal and the most powerful god. But we have the power to make more better days for more people.”copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡmK6zq8Kx08

“Because you’re a god?”copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbyOKMblj6

“No.” I thought back to Hestia. I found it strange to seemingly being in her shoes. I felt like a mother, or at least an aunt. It was a weird feeling. “No because we are people.” She looked at me confused. “There’s a reason the gods were replaced with us humans. The gods were stuck, set in their ways. But humans, even humans turned divine can change. We can grow. Yeah…sometimes you are going to have bad days and it will be out of your control. But life is what you make it. Humans have this great ability to choose. That is not something you will ever have to give up in exchange for godhood. You can choose. Many humans have regrets in life, so too could gods. But I don’t think I regret becoming a god. I regret I did and didn’t do as a human, and I regret things I did and didn’t do as a god. But I don’t regret becoming Dionysus. I can do more for myself now, and more for other people too. Sorry I started rambling. I hope I answered your question.”copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡaKCQSjd1GN

Heidi nodded and took my hand. I nodded in return and lead the two goddesses out of the room.copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡM3yTCZ2nw2

I’ll tell you one thing. I regret that we didn’t have a faster way to Olympus.copyright protection37ＰＥＮＡＮＡv8d4XYQ8ka